I’m looking to hire right now.
Here’s what would help me / what I need:
- Show me one good+ startup you’re an advisor or mentor to. That’s a good sign right there, especially if the CEO will vouch for you.
- Show me one good+ deal you sourced that I’d like. Ideally, the deal got done. But if the CEO will still vouch for you again, that’s probably enough.
- Show me how you’ll help. How can you do diligence for me? How can you process more deal flow for me? How can you leverage the platform? One simple way to do this is to show me a prospective deal and tell me why we should do it. Or, if I ask you what you think of a deal — go do the work. Don’t give me your HBS-trained gut opinion. Go talk to prospects, customers, whatever. Go do an hour of work, for real, on the deal. And then tell me if we should do it, or not, and why. If you can just do that — you’re ahead of 95% of the pack.
- Be driven & a hustler AND personable. Need both. Founders have to like you. Founders don’t really like a lot of non-GPs. And I don’t need someone sitting around that needs to be told what to do.
- Make it happen. Show up on time. Don’t treat it as an “informational” interview. Treat it as your shot. Treat our meeting like a founder pitching a VC. Let me know in 5 minutes why I should bring you on. Be your own elevator pitch.
If you’re truly accretive, there’s room. But I don’t have interest or time in just doing interviews, coffees, and meetings.
That’s just me.
